Gas-lighting apparatus.



PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

E. A. & E. N. FRARY. GAS LIGHTING APPARATUS.

APILLWATION FILED HA3. 9. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 No. 849,116. 7 PATENTED APR. 2, 1907. E. A. 6: B. N. FRARY. GAS LIGHTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED HA3. 9. 1906.

QSHEETg-EHEET 2.

unrrn sra rns arana orrron.

- ERNEST A. FRARY AND EDWARD N. FRARY, OF DEERFIELD,

MASSACHUSETTS.

GASr-LEGHTENG APARATUSE Specification of Letters Patent.

ratented April 2, 1907.

Application filed March 9, 1906. Serial No. 306,178.

prises automatic means controlled by the pressure of the gas at the gasometer or at or,

near the source of gas-supply for causing the turning on of the gas to the individual burners or any number of street or other burners and for the ignition of the turned-on gas and also for the shutting off of the gas at all or any number ofthe burners when desired for the extinguishing of all of the lights, advantage being taken by provisions at the gasometer, and also by provisions individual to the proper burners, of the illuminating-gas to be suppled at the burners to constitute the fluid-pressure means for effecting the turn: ing on and lighting of the gas and the shutting off of the gas and extinguishing of the lights.

Within the' capabilities of this invention gasburners in houses may be supplied, as usual, from the common source of gas-supply, which need not necessarily have electric turning on and lighting devices, and streetlight burners also supplied from such source, it still being possible at the gas-making plant to cause the lighting and thereafter the shutting off of the street-lights'without materially interfering with the conditions for illumination by the house-burners at any time The invention'consists in the constructions, arrangements, -and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and as set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation and having the nature of a diagram, showing the general arrangements and avail ability of the device. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, on a larger scale, of the burner suported by a street-lamp postand havin urner o ening and shut-off devices an lighting evices therefor. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional and plan view of the parts as seen below the line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the views.

In the drawings, A represents a gas-supply tank, closed reservoir, or gasometer having a vertically-movable section a, which may rise and lower according to the pressure of the gas therein and which may have regulating means for reducing or increasing the pressure in such reservoir or gasomcter.

B represents a pipe for conveying the manufactured acetylene or other gas from the gas-machine by way of an upstanding branch B into said gasome'ter, and B represents the distributing-pipe leading from communication with the gasometer, which it'has by way of said upstanding branch B, said'pipe B being understood as extended underground throughout a town or city and having connections by upri ht branches 0, only one of which is shown in ig. 1 to diaphragmcases 1), which by the" depending threaded hub b of each are screw-connected with the upper ends of the pipes, vertically extending through the respective lamp-posts.

Each diaphragm-case, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, comprises a lower section 10 of cup shape, at the central portion ofwhich the aforementioned screw connection hub is provided, and surrounding the flanged top of the cup-shaped section 10 is the flexible diaphragm'd, which is clamped thereto by the upper section 12 of the diaphragm-case, which comprises the clamping-ring 13, through which the confining-screws 14 pass downwardly through the marginal portion of the diaphragm and the flanged portion of the lower section 10, and said upper section fur thermore comprises upri ht portions 15 16 and the uniting horizonta cross-bar 17.

The duct 18 leads laterally and upwardly through the side wall of the casing-section 10 and matches with the duct or passage 19,

which leads not only vertically through the upright portion 16 of the casing-section 12, but for a suitable distance horizontally through the horizontal cross-bar 17 and upwardly through the upstanding round boss 20, which is formed as an integral part of the horizontal bar 17.

The gas-burner F, comprising a central tubular body, is screw-connected to the afore- ICO said upstanding boss 20, and this burner may be any of a variety of well-known forms of automatic gas-lighting burners which have means for the production of an electric spark simultaneously with the operation of opening the gas valve or cock, which is provided for opening and closing the passage through the burner, and which passage leads to the burner-ti Suitably adjacent the upstanding boss and t0.one side thereof the cross-bar 17 of the upper section of the diaphragm-case is constructed with a hole 22 vertically therethrough, in which is fitted and supported a tubular section 23, of fiber, rubber, or other insulating material, and on the externallyscrew-threaded depending portion of this sleeve 23 a circular thumb-nut 24'screwen gages and has between the flanged head of such nut and the diaphragm d the light spiral diaphragm-regulating spring f, and 25 represents a check or looking nut screwing on the threaded insulating tubular section 23, adapted to be set against and confine in any en adjustment the spring-adjusting nut 24.

J represents .a circuit-closing rod or stem, which is guided for vertical movement rough the insulating depending member 23, its lower end restlng on or being connected with the diaphragm, and its upper end, which is here shown as provided with the widened head 25, has its location between the contact-lugs 26 and 27, which are carried by the separated upper and lower clamping-collars 28 and 29, which have ad justable and constrictive engagements about; the insulation-sleeve 30, which encircles the upstanding boss 20 of the diaphragm-casing section 1-7.

32 represents the spindle or stem of a plugvalve, which is understood as rotatable in and across the gas-passage 33, which leads vertically through the body of, the burner to the burner-tip. This valve-stem 32 has a disk 34, carrying an eccentrically-located in 35, said disk having limited back and orth artial rotar movements.

H re resent e ectroma nets at o posits sides of t e central body 0 the gasurner, and i 11 represent the armatures therefor, both connected at the common pivot 37 and having each a lever-arm 3 7' represents a localb ttery for the postsupported burner, and t e wire 40 in connection therewith isgrounded at g in the lamppost, and the wire 42 is connected with the metallic sleeve 43 in metallic connection with the rod G, which plays vertically therewithin, and which sleeve is tightly fitted in the aforesaid depending tubular member 23 of insulating material.

The Wire 44 has connection with the contact-lug 26 and runs therefrom to one of the electromagnets H, and the wire 44 connects the electromagnet with the body of the burner, which is in metallic contact with the diaphragm-case.

The wire 45 connects the other contact-lug 27 with the other electromagnet h, and the wire 4:5 connects the electromagnet with the metallic body of the burner, which is in connection with the diaphragm-case.

m represents the sparking device adjacent the burner-tip, which is made active by the current for the electromagnet-circuits, as common in this well-knownclass of electric gas-lighting devices, it being expressly stated that this invention comprises no novelty in the electric-lighting gas-burner and that any one of a variety of wellknown kinds of electric gas-lighting burners may be used in carrying out this invention For operation, early. in the evening, for instance, when all of the gasburners in the system are to be lighted, the pressure in the gasometer is raised above the normal, (it being understood that the normal pressure is one which will maintain the diaphragm (Z in the position intermediate of the limits of its deflections so that the head 25 of the stem 9 will be more or less nearly midway between the contact-lugs 26 and 27,) such raising of the pressure above the normal causing the upward distention of the diaphragm and the lifting of the rod 9', so that the head 25 of the circuitclosing rod G by coming to bearing against the contact-lug will establish a circuit from the battery j, wire 42, and metallic sleeve to and through the rod G, having a sliding contact with said sleeve to and through wire 44, one of the electromagnets H, and return connection 44 to the metallic body of the burner, near which the wire-40 from the other pole of the battery is grounded. The establishment of this circuit energizes one of the electromagnets H and insures by the motion of the armature and armature-lever arm the partial rotary motion of the pin-provided disk on the gascock, opening the latterconcurrently with which the ignition device m becomes live for the ignition of the gas, which is now permitted to be delivered through the gas-burner. The time arriving when the as-lights of the system should he extinguis ed, the pressure in the gasometer is lowered by some means, whereupon the diaphragm, which has remained subject to the pressure of the gas which passes through the diaphragm-chamber, becomes so lowered and overpoweredby the pressure of the diaphragm-springf as to permit the head 25 of the c1rcuit-closing rod to be brought to hearing againstgthe lower contact-lug 27, thereby establishing a circuit through the other eleetromagnet, which results, through the movement of its armature and lever-arm, in the reversing of the motion of the gas-cock, shutting oil the gas through the burner, and putting out the light.

It is deemed desirable after the gas-cock KCO has been opened through the fluid-pressure and electromagnet means described and the issuing gas ignited to slightly reduce the,

pressure at the gasometer, not enough, however, to cause the reversed action of the mechanism, but sufficiently to carry the head of the circuit-closing rod G to its position between and out of contact with either of the contact-lugs, thereby, leaving all circuits 0 ened and without wasting the energy of t 1e battery.

The provision of the diaphragm-spring f and the adjustable means for varying the compression of such spring, whereby the resistance of the diaphragm opposed to the gas-pressure under the diaphragm may be regulated, insures that each of the apparatuses comprising the diaphragm in the entire system may be rendered capable of the expected actions controllable by any adopted pressure in the gasometer.

Variations of the pressure in the tank or gasometer, having the movable chamberexpanding portion a, to such extremes as to by the maximum distend the diaphragm d of the lamp-post burners at the moment of the lighting of the same by the intermediate pressure for normal conditions durin the ighting period, and by the most great y reduced pressure, to permit the collapse of each diaphragm for the extinguishings of the li hts, may be obtained by a person manually p acing first a maximum weight on the movable portion a of the gasometer, leaving it thereon for but one or a very few minutes,

then reducing such weight in some degree, and

finally removin the weight, the regulation of the pressure being moreover further manually controllable by the valve in the gassupply pipe B; but the apparatus is rendered much more complete and satisfactory when made inclusive of apparatus-for auto matically lowering the pressure in the gasometer to the minimum at the predetermined time when the lights at the lamp-post burners are to be extinguished,- and for almost immediately thereafter automatically restor, ing the pressure to its normal degree, whereby the local batteries adjacent the lamp-post will not be run down, but also whereby otherburners which may be pipe-connected in the system-as, for instance, in houses-may be supplied with the gas at normal pressure and 1 available at substantially all times desired for illumination, and to these ends a weighted lever 51 is link-connected to the body of the gas-supply-pipe valve 51 and has a stud-and-slot engagement with the stem of such valve.

A detent 54 is pivotally mounted on a support at the side of the gasometer and adapted, as shown by full linesin the drawings, to engage and hold in its lowered position the movable gasometer-section a.

valve.

53 represents a pivoted detent for holding the catch 44 in its engaging osition.- A flexible'connection 49 connects t e catch and the valve-operating lever 51.

50 represents a clockworks, which may be of any of the alarm-clock types, to be set for liberating at a predetermined time a selfrotating arbor which may carry a cam to operate against and move a bar which has a connection 52 with the detent 53.

a represents a weight above the movable gasometer-section a, the same being suspended by a cord or other flexible connection 65,which is sheave-guided at 66 and 67 and has winding engagement around an overhead spool supported horizontally for rotation in journal-bearings 68 and provided with a ratchet or toothed wheel 69, with which a detent 63 normally engages.

represents a second clockworks of the same character as the one 50 above referred to and employed to be set to liberate a selfrotating arbor thereof a minute or very soon after the operation of the clockworks 50 to cause a draft on the flexible connection 62, which is fastened to the detent 63, and the disengagement of the latter from the toothed wheel 69.

An additional flexible connection 70 is secured to the weight a, and to the valve-, operating lever 51, being intermediately suitably sheave-guided, as seen at 72.

Now, in operation at the moment when the street-lamps are to be extinguished the automatic portion of the clockworks 50 hav in been properly set therefor the detent 53 will be withdrawn from the catch 54, which will release the movable gasometer-section a to rise, enlarging the space within the tank and lowering the pressure, such pressure lowering being most promptly and certainly assured because immediately the catch 54 is moved to release tank portion a the weighted valve-lever being then unrestrained swings downwardly and closes the gas-supply-pipe The lowering of the pressure causes the complete lowering of the dia hragms d establishing the circuits in the e ectromagnetic devices for the post-lights, which are operative to close the gas-cocks, Almost immediately following this action the second clockworks 60 causes the releasing of the detent 63, whereupon the weight a is free to descend, imposing its force a ainst the mov able gasometeI-section a su ciently to restore the ressure to the normal, it being noted that the escending weight through the flexible connection 7 O upwardly swings the valve- 0 crating lever, again opening the valve in IIO having a winding en agement about the spool 64 in the reverse irection from that of the cord 65. v

The maximum pressure in the gasometer may be established and momentarily maintained by additional weights manually a plied on the top of the tank-section a at t e proper time early in the evening and when it burner and having a diaphragm in unison vice, electromagnetic 3 5 with which said circuit-closing member moves, a spring for imposing a resistance against the movement of said diaphragm in one direction, and means for varying the tension ,of said spring, a gas-tank connected with said diaphragm-casing andwith the gas-passage through said burner, and means for varymg the gas-pressure in said tank.

2. An electric lighting gas-burner having a cock controlling the, gas-delivery therethrough and comprisin a gas-ignition dee vices for opening and closing the gas-cock and energizing the ignition device and comprising two contacts and a circuit-closing movable member there-. between, a casing having a diaphragm, in unison with which said circuit-closing member moves, a gas-tank having a movable portion, a as-supply pipe connected therewith and wit which tank a supply-pipe has connection and with which said diaphragm also has communication, automatic 'means for lowering, below its normal, the "pressure in said gas-tank and against the diaphragm, and automatic means for thereafter increasing the gas-pressure in said tank- 3. A gas-burner having a gas-cock and an ignition member, electromagnetic means for c osing and opening the gas-cock and comprising a movable circuit-closing member, a casing provided with a diaphragm coacting with said circuit-closing member, and a gastank having communication with said diaphragm-casmg, clockworks-actuated means for automatically lowerin the gas-pressure in said tank, and clockworl m-actuated means for again increasing the gas-pressure in said tank, for the purposes set forth.

4. In an automatic gas-lighting apparatus, the combination with a burner, a gas-conduit connected therewith, and a cock controlling the passage of gas through the burner, of electromagnetic mechanism comprising a magnet, and armature operable on the gas-cock to open, and a ma net and armature operable on the gas-coo to close it, and an electric gas-lighter coacting with one of said electromagnets, normally open circuit-conductors havingconnected therewith a battery and in connection with said electromagnets and also connected with separated contacts, a diaphragm subject to the pressure of the gas passin through said conduit to the burner, an a circuit-closing contact piece controlled by the diaphragm and movable against either of said contactsaccordin as the gas-pressure is raised or lowered, an for establishing circuits through said electromagnets for operating said gas-cock in either direclion.

5. In an automatic gas-lighting apparatus the combination, with a gaslighting burner having a cock adapted to control the gaspassage therethrough, electromagnetic devices operative to open arid close said cock and a diaphragm o erative to control said electromagnetic coc operating devices, of a gas-tank having a movable portion and in communication with a gas-supplying pipe and with a conduit or branch ipe connected with the gas-burner, a catch or restraining in a lowered position the movable portion of the gas-tank, a detent for said catch, and a olockworks coacting with said detent and operable at a redetermined time to free the detent from t e. catch whereby the movable portion of the tank may have a rising move ment to cause a lowering of the gas-pressure therein, and for eflect on said diaphragm.

6. In an automatic gas-lighting apparatus the combination, with a gas-lighting burner having a cock adapted to control the gaspassage therethrough, electromagnetic devices operative to open. and close said cock and a diaphragm o erative to control said electromagnetic 000 operating devices, of a gas-tank having a 'movable portion and in communication with a gas-supplying pipe and with a conduit or branch )ipe connected with the gasburner, a self-c osing valve in the gas-supply pipe, means for restraining said valve'in its open position, and a clockworks coacting with said valve-restraining means and adapted for operation at a predetermined time to release said valve for a closing movement. i p r 7. In an automatic gas-lighting apparatus the combination with a gas-lighting burner having a cock adapted to control the gaspassage therethrough, electromagnetic devices operative to open and close said cock and a diaphragm operative to control said electromagnetic cock-operating devices, of a gas-tank having a movable portion and in communication with a gas-supply pipe and with a conduit or branch pipe connected with the as-burner, a valve, in the gas-supply pipe having a weighted operating-lever theresuch detent from the catch whereby the gassupply-pipe valve may have a closing moveh ment and whereby the movable tank portion.

may have a rising movement under the gaspressure therein.

8. In an automatic gas-lighting apparatus the combination with a gas-lighting burner having a cock adapted to control the gaspassage therethrough, electromagnetic devices operative to open and close said cock and a diaphragm o erative to control-said electromagnetic coc operating devices, of a gas-tank having a movable portion and in communication with a gas-supply pipe and with a conduit or branch pipe connected with the gas-burner, a valve in the gas-supply pipe having a weighted operatin -lever therefor, a catch for restraining in a owered position the movable portion of the gas-tank, .a detent for said catch, a connection between said catch and said valve-operating lever, a clockworks coacting with said detent and operable at a predetermined time to free such detent from the catch whereby the gas-supply-pipe valve may have a closing movement and whereby the movable tank ortion may have arising movement under t e gas-.

pressure therein, a Weight above the gas-tank aving a flexible suspension means therefor, means for holding said Wei ht above and normally free from the IIIOVfiflO portion of the tank comprisin a detent therefor, and another clockwor s coactin with said lastnamed detent and o erab e at another predetermined time for liberating the suspended -weight whereby it may exert its gravitative force against the movable portion of the gastank thereby increasing the already-lowered gas-pressure therein.

9. In an automatic gas-lighting apparatus the combination with a gas-lighting burner having a cock adapted to controlv the gaspassage therethrough, electromagnetic devices operative to open and close said cock and a diaphragm o erative to control said electromagnetic coc -operating devices, of a gas-tank having a movable portion and in communication with a gas-supply pipe and with a conduit or branch pipe connected with the as-burner, a valve in the gas-supply oipe aving a Weighted operating-lever thereor, a catch for restraining in a lowered position the movable portion of the gas-tank, a detent for said catch, a connection between said catch and said valve-operating lever, a clockworks coacting with said detent and operable at a predetermined time to free-such detent from the catch whereby the gas-supply-pipe valve may have a closing movement and whereby the movable tank portion may have a rising movement under the gaspressure therein, a weight above the gas-t ank aving a flexible suspension means therefor, means for holding said weight above and normally free from the movable portion of the tank comprising a detent therefor, an-

other clockworks coacting with said lastnamed detent and operable at another predetermined time for liberating the suspended weight whereby it may exert its gravitative force against the movable portion of the gastank thereby increasing the already-lowered gas-pressure therein, and a connection between said weight and gas-supply-pipe-valve o crating lever whereby on the descent of t e weight such lever will be drawn upwardly and the valve again opened.

Signed by us at Essex, Connecticut, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST A. FRARY. EDW. N. FRARY. Witnesses:

ARTHUR F. FONTAINE, HENRY S. HIGGINS. 

